Ironically, a good desire has led many parents to become obsessed with their kids’ safety and success. Gibbs calls them “helicopter parents” as they hover over their children’s lives from the classroom to the ball field protecting them and pushing them to succeed.
The result? By worrying about the wrong things, Gibbs says, “we do actual damage to our children, raising them to be anxious and unadventurous.” (Pediatricians have also found that this hurried lifestyle of constant pressure and stress can contribute to health problems like childhood obesity and depression).
So what’s the solution? Well, if the problem was simply hovering over our children’s lives, the solution would be to simply back off and lighten up. And there’s some truth to that! But the problem goes much deeper.
The problem is that we are afraid. If our greatest aim as parents is to protect our children and prepare them to receive some kind of academic or athletic recognition, than most likely we are parenting out of fear. Why? Because deep down we’re scared if they don’t succeed. We feel like we’ve failed as parents. So we work hard to prepare our children to make the grade or make the team so we would look good. It’s like our children are little trophies that we, as Paul Tripp says, “secretly want to display on the mantels of our lives as visible testimonies to a job well done” (Age of Opportunity, p.35).
If we were honest, we would admit that much of our parenting is motivated by fear. That’s what keeps us from lightening up and letting go of the reins. And what’s more, as Christians we spend so much time protecting our children from the world that we fail to prepare them to make a difference in this world. Biblical parenting, however, pictures parents as courageous warriors getting ready to release their children into battle. Psalm 127:4 says:
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior so are the children of one’s youth.
Arrows were made to fly. They can’t sit safely in the quiver or rest on the bow forever. They must be released! That’s what our preparation is ultimately for–to release our children into this world equipped with the gospel of Jesus Christ to serve people for the glory of Christ.
So lighten up all you helicopter parents! (me included). Let go of the reins. Parent your children as God parents you. Protect them, yes. But all the while prepare them … so you can release them … to fly into the battle with the glory of the gospel.
Missional Parenting
Much of our parenting is motivated by fear. Consequently, we’re more concerned with protecting our children from the world than preparing them to make a difference in this world. Gospel-centered, missional parenting is much different. It pictures parents as courageous warriors getting ready to release their children into battle. Psalm 127:4 says,
I see missional parenting happening in 3 stages. Of course these stages are fairly fluid with some overlap to be expected.
Gregg Harris says that in the time Psalm 127 was written, there were no arrow factories. Consequently, it took time for each arrow to be crafted with care and precision. The arrow had to have a good sharp tip on one end–that might deal with academic training and biblical instruction; and it had to have a good set of the fletching on the other end–which might apply to discipline. This would provide the arrow with a guidance system. So as parents, we must see ourselves as warriors shaping our young children during their formative years with doctrine and discipline driven by the gospel.
As children grow and mature we must give them opportunities to see the sinful reality of the world around them. Under our guidance and supervision we must expose our children to fallen creation and the crying need for restoration. Instead of an “us vs. them” mentality, we must teach our children to see and serve our culture through the lens of the gospel. We could picture this stage as the arrow being pulled out of the quiver and onto the bow.
Arrows were made to fly. They can’t sit in the quiver or rest on the bow forever. They must be released! Yet the point of release is often the most difficult time in parenting. As Gregg Harris says:
When you aim the arrow and release the arrow, beware–the greatest tension in your
relationship with your children will often be just before you release them. Because it
feels to the arrow like it’s going backwards when it wants to go forward. The tension is
building in the bow, the warrior is aiming, and then there’s the release. From that point
on, the guidance system that is in the arrow itself is what keeps it on track.
There comes a time when we must release our children into the battle. This is the purpose of the arrow as well as the purpose of parenting. We cannot be scared of this sinful world. Indeed, this is the world Jesus entered into and told us, “As the Father sent me, so I send you” (John 17:18). So let us follow our Savior with the attitude of a warrior as we prepare our children for the battle.
Factors that Influence Homeowners Insurance Quotes
A home insurance allows you to plan for the unexpected. Home insurance gives you peace of mind since it protects your family and property. Homeowners insurance helps you to pay for replacement costs repair, and other extra living expenses in case something happens to your home. Home insurance includes the wind, fire, theft, lightning, and wind. What you are required to do is pay your deductible, and the rest will be handled by your home insurance. If you have purchased a new house or planning to change your insurance carriers, or perhaps getting a quote?. Here are factors that can impact your home insurance quote.
Your home insurance quotes Barrie depends on the condition and age of your home. Home insurance quotes are specifically designed to capture the latest value of your home regarding the information you provide. The building materials and the condition of vital components such as plumbing and electrical systems, furnace, and the roof ought to be captured in the insurance quote. If your home is old, the materials that were used to build it may currently be unavailable or even expensive to replace.
Another thing that influences your homeowner’s insurance quote is where you live. Your address matters because certain areas that are heavily affected by weather than others. Areas with bad weather are associated with higher rates of such homeowner’s insurance. Therefore, if you come from affected areas, you may end up paying more premiums. For instance, if you reside in an area prone to fire or near a large water body, you may end up paying higher premiums. Construction and repair costs vary by region and therefore do affect home insurance quote.
The estimated replacement value of your home is another major factor that impacts insurance quotes. Not the latest current tax assessment or the market value of your home that matters but rather the actual cost to be incurred in rebuilding the structure of your home. For instance, if your home is burnt down, the cost to rebuild it is its replacement value. Factors taken into consideration in calculating replacement value include inflation, labor, and materials.
The safety and security of your home are other key factors that influence the quotes you will get. If your home is installed with a burglar alarm, smoke detectors, deadbolt locks and other safety features, you get to save money on your homeowner insurance quote. Therefore, it is advisable to install your home with current security features if you want to save some cash. Get to ways of qualifying for homeowner’s insurance discounts and understand all factors impacting insurance quotes so that you can save cash on the cost of home insurance.